Other Opportunities

The Slavic Reference Service at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (SRS), together with the Association for Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies (ASEEES), is hosting our second annual virtual meet and greet for graduate students, recent graduates, and ASEEES members. 

This informal event is an opportunity to meet fellow REEES graduate students and scholars, play REEES-themed trivia, and learn more about SRS research support services, ASEEES resources for graduate students, the annual ASEEES convention, and more.  

All are welcome!

Thursday, January 30th, 2025

11am CST/ 12 pm ET

On ZOOM

Please register here: https://forms.gle/ky1BaDVciezPNfxU9

Zoom links will be sent out the week of the event. 

Questions? Email srscite@library.illinois.edu

Applications are now open for the Monterey Summer Symposium 2025, a multidisciplinary bilingual program organized by the Monterey Initiative in Russian Studies at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey. The Monterey Summer Symposium will take place in Armenia and Georgia from June 25 to July 13, 2025.

Applicants must demonstrate advanced proficiency in the Russian language.

The application deadline is February 17, 2025. Selected candidates will be notified of their acceptance by March 8, 2025.

For more information about the program and the selection process, please visit: Monterey Summer Symposium 2025.

For any inquiries, please contact:

Anna Vassilieva at avassili@middlebury.edu

Ivo Walinga at iwalinga@middlebury.edu  

Junior Scholar Workshop “Writing Back from the Peripheries? Russophone Literary Diversity” 

funded by the BRIDGE Seed Fund for collaboration between the University of Birmingham (UoB) in the UK, and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) in the USA

July 9-10, 2025

at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign

Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, decolonizing and decentring approaches to the study of Russophone literature and culture have become increasingly urgent tasks. This workshop seeks to offer support to emerging scholars whose research focuses on minoritized Russophone authors (both those who are “writing back” from regions formerly colonized by Russia and those who ended up living in exile abroad).

The interdisciplinary workshop follows the symposium on Russophone Literary Diversity organized at the University of Birmingham in September 2024. It is open to advanced graduate students and early career scholars working in literary studies, linguistics, human geography, anthropology, history, and political science. We welcome submissions focused on Russophone literary diversity and peripheries, with diversity being understood along a number of different axes: geographic, ethnic, racial, linguistic, sexual/gender. Abstracts and papers should highlight the critical methodologies used in the work. Selected papers will be pre-circulated among the participants, to maximize opportunity for discussion.

The workshop participants will receive feedback on their projects both from their peers and senior scholars, the latter serving as panel discussants and mentors. A specialized bibliography session on the topic of the workshop will be offered by the UIUC Slavic Reference Service.

The workshop committee will comprise: Valeria Sobol, David Cooper and George Gasyna (UIUC); Nataliya Rulyova, Isobel Palmer, and Irina Kuznetsova (UofB).

Application and funding information

To apply, please send a 300-word abstract and CV to vsobol@illinois.edu by February 1st, 2025.  In your email message subject, please write “Peripheries Workshop” and your name, for example: “Peripheries Workshop_Sobol.”

We will inform participants who have been selected by March 7^th and ask you to develop a paper of 4,000-5,000 words by June 1st, 2024. 

The workshop will cover accommodation (dormitory housing) and offer partial travel reimbursement. Most meals will be covered for all the participants.

Additional research and funding opportunity

This workshop will take place during the annual Summer Research Laboratory at Illinois (SRL). US citizens are eligible to apply for a Title VIII associateship for SRL, should they wish to extend their visit to Champaign-Urbana to work with our Library’s famous Russian, East European, and Eurasian collections. A Title VIII associateships with the SRL includes travel reimbursement up to $800; dormitory housing for up to 12 days; and a $1,250 research stipend.  Please note that the SRL application is a separate process. More details about the SRL and application can be found here:

https://reeec.illinois.edu/research/summer-research-laboratory

Please note that the priority deadline for SRL applications and Title VIII funding is February 17, 2025. The final deadline for all SRL applications, funded and unfunded, is March 17, 2025.

The Slavic Reference Service, together with the Association for Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies (ASEEES) invites doctoral students in Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies (SEEES) and affiliated disciplines to register for the 9th Annual SEEES Online Dissertation Research Workshop on March 6, 2025, 9:00 am – 12:45 pm Central Time.

This annual event brings together SEEES doctoral students, librarians, archivists, and faculty advisors to discuss resources, strategies, and professional development opportunities. We seek to foster a sense of community and support among SEEES doctoral students.

Workshop focus areas include:

• Dissertation Writing
• Planning Research Trips
• Research Support
• Sources and Collections
• ASEEES Dissertation Writing Grants

Register - https://forms.gle/o3pAe4CZmgDGvQiJ9

Please encourage students to register for this workshop.

The priority admission and funding deadline is December 6

I am excited to announce that applications for Indiana University’s summer 2025 Language Workshop are now open!

This summer’s workshop will feature intensive in-person, online, and overseas courses in 27 languages, including Azerbaijani, BCS, Czech, Estonian, Hungarian, Kyrgyz, Latvian, Lithuanian, Polish, Romanian, Russian, Ukrainian, and Uzbek.

2025 program highlights include:

• Online + study-abroad programs for Azerbaijani and Kyrgyz
• In-person + study-abroad and online + study-abroad programs for BCS, Czech, Hungarian, and Polish, in collaboration with the University of Pittsburgh Summer Language Institute.

Full funding is available for researchers, scholars, and graduate and post-graduate students participating in in-person, online, or overseas programs. Additionally, partial funding is available for undergraduates, lifelong learners, community college, and high school students.

For more information:

• Visit our website: http://languageworkshop.indiana.edu/overview
• Attend our virtual office hours
• Email us at languageworkshop@iu.edu

Along with the whole IU team, I look forward to welcoming you and your students to the summer 2025 Language Workshop!

Call for Applications: 2025 Summer Research Laboratory on Russia, Eastern Europe, and Eurasia

 Priority deadline: Feb 17, 2025 and Final Deadline: March 17, 2025

The Russian, East European, and Eurasian Center and the Slavic Reference Service at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign are accepting applications for our 2025 Summer Research Laboratory (SRL) program. The SRL is an in-person program that offers comprehensive research support, access to library resources and competitive Research Awards to graduate and post-graduate scholars developing projects on all aspects of Russian, East European, and Eurasian studies. It is funded by the U.S. Department of State through its Program for Research and Training on Eastern Europe and the Independent States of the Former Soviet Union (Title VIII).

The SRL will take place on our campus from June 9 - August 1, 2025. It is open to advanced graduate students, independent scholars, and academic professionals in government and nongovernmental organizations. Graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and early career scholars are especially encouraged to apply.

Any researcher may apply to be as SRL Associate, and receive the following forms of research support:

• Reference assistance throughout the summer and beyond from the Slavic Reference Service (SRS);
• In-person access to digital and database collections of our University Library during onsite visit;
• Thematic and skill-building workshop events, as well as opportunities to present and discuss works in progress;
• Designation as a 2025 SRL Associate.

All Associates may request one-on-one personalized bibliographic sessions before and during the SRL with SRS, with priority given to graduate students and early career scholars.

Funding Opportunity: Title VIII Research Awards

U.S. Citizens conducting policy-relevant research may also apply for one of our Title VIII Research Awards. Funded by the U.S. Department of State, these awards provide:

• Dormitory accommodation on campus for up to 12 nights (room in a shared suite);
• Travel reimbursement for transportation to Champaign-Urbana, up to $800;
• A research stipend of $1250.

All Title VIII funded research must be conducted in-person at the SRL. These Research Awards are offered on a competitive basis. 

The priority application deadline for Title VIII Research Awards is February 17, 2025. The final deadline for all SRL applications, funded and unfunded, is March 17, 2025.

Title VIII Research Training Workshop: “The Contemporary Baltics, Eastern Europe, and the Russia-Ukraine War” (June 24-25, 2025).

Moderators: Dr. Violeta Davoliūtė (Vilnius University, Institute of International Relations and Political Science) and Dr. Dovilė Budrytė (Georgia Gwinnett College, Department of Political Science, Criminal Justice and International Studies, and Vytautas Kavolis Transdisciplinary Research Institute, Vytautas Magnus University)

As a part of the SRL, this year we will be hosting a Research Training Workshop. This workshop will focus on how scholars can understand the changes in identities and mnemonic policies of the Baltic states and countries in Eastern Europe, as they grapple with the many consequences of the Russia-Ukraine war. It will feature plenary discussions as well as research presentations. 

Applicants who are interested in joining the workshop or presenting their research should note this interest in their SRL applications.

For a full description of the research and training workshop, please visit: https://reeec.illinois.edu/courses-rees-rubric/summer-research-laboratory/events-calendar/workshop-lab-programs/contemporary

For more information on the SRL and to apply, please visit: https://reeec.illinois.edu/research/summer-research-laboratory

Please reach out to us at reeec-srl@illinois.edu  with any questions.

The Ukrainian Research Institute at Harvard University is building a database of experienced translators, copy editors, and indexers to assist with publications projects on an as-needed basis.

Apply online at https://huri.harvard.edu/news/call-translators-copy-editors-and-indexers to join our list of potential freelancers. Applicants must submit their resume, a list of relevant experience, and one or two samples of their work at the time of application.

Roles: • Ukrainian to English translators, preferably native English speakers • Copy editors with intimate knowledge of Ukrainian studies • Indexers who have prior experience preparing indices

Questions may be directed to Oleh Kotsyuba, Manager of Publications, at kotsyuba@fas.harvard.edu

About HURI’s publishing program-
Established to fill a void in academic publishing, HURI’s publishing program produces award-winning resources of the highest caliber.

In addition to the journal Harvard Ukrainian Studies, the Institute publishes English translations of early Ukrainian literary monuments and a variety of monographs, including works of research and analysis, and comparative studies.

HURI’s monograph publications are available for purchase through Harvard University Press and Amazon, and Harvard Ukrainian Studies is available directly from the Institute. Contact us to receive a free catalog, or https://huri.harvard.edu/huri-publications

Literature on war in Afghanistan?

We at the University of Pittsburgh are planning an international PEN event that will involve bringing together contemporary creative writers who have written (in English or translated into English) on war in Afghanistan. Although the dominant focus is on the US and Soviet wars, we are potentially interested in the broader late 20th century, including the Saur revolution (the so-called “Communist insurrection”) (1978); the Soviet–Afghan War (1979–1989); the civil war (1989–92; 1992-96; and 1996-2001), and the US invasion (2001– 2021).

If you happen to know works (authors, titles) that could contribute to this project, I would be grateful if you could send information to me at condee@pitt.edu.

American Councils for International Education is hiring short-term Resident Directors for summer language immersion programs abroad for American high school and college students studying one of 14 critical languages including: Arabic, Azerbaijani, Bangla, Chinese, Hindi, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, Persian, Portuguese, Russian, Swahili, Turkish, and Urdu.

Resident Directors must be proficient in the target language and typically have experience studying, working, or traveling in the host country. They are responsible for promoting student success by ensuring the health and safety of program participants, helping them to maintain a language policy, and assisting them in acclimating to life in the host country. In-country partner institutes are responsible for administering the academic curriculum. Therefore, the Resident Director position is a non-teaching position.

A full list of available Resident Director positions is available at https://www.americancouncils.org/careers

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until positions are filled.

The Russia Program’s Graduate Research Cooperation Project aims to assist graduate students access remote primary sources with the assistance of their peers in Russia. We will help conduct remote archival research, collect data, and arrange polls and interviews in Russia at no cost.

Our major goal is to help graduate students accomplish their dissertations and create an operating network of young professionals across the globe.

An applicant shall be a full time graduate student with a defended dissertation topic, or a postdoctoral researcher, working in the field of Russian or Soviet studies. Each application will be reviewed by a committee of professors from the George Washington University, American University, and Georgetown University. The average wait time for a decision is two weeks.

The Russia Program at GW is a university-based, data-driven analytical center that combines knowledge, technologies, and networks into a research ecosystem. Learn more here for renewing approach.

If you’re seeking an opportunity to volunteer your knowledge of Russian with K-6 elementary students in an enjoyable, low-stakes learning environment, please let me know by this Friday, September 24 by sending an email to lwgrutch@iu.edu with BRIDGES FOR RUSSIAN in the subject line.

Seeking: undergraduate/graduate Russian language learners with at least 2 years of university-level study as well as heritage and native users of the language

Time commitment: one day a week for one hour October and November (7 weeks), after elementary school lets out (mid/late afternoon)

Your contribution: attend pre-instruction orientation with Bridges coordinators; create simple lesson plans for approximately 35-45 minutes of Russian language introduction for elementary school learners under the guidance of the Bridges coordinators and Russian language advisor; instruct after school program once a week at the local school to which you are assigned; meet with Bridges coordinators for regular feedback and input

Bridges coordinator contribution: provide instruction resources and guidance over the course of the program

Russian language advisor contribution: As needed, vet lesson plans for accuracy of Russian